When We Say 143
by franfranfrancesca
Summary: AU; Dad called it my 'new home.' I shrugged even though I knew I'd be here for a long time. When I saw the girl sitting on the swing by the front door, my first thought was, "Maybe this place won't be so bad." Bade, slight Candre
1. Prologue

**YES, new story! Don't get me wrong, I will update the others! I just had this in my head for a while! Here we gooooo…**

**This is dedicated to… ohsnapitzJess for being an AMAZING writer. **

**Summary: AU;** Dad called it my 'new home.' I shrugged, not thinking too much of it... even though I knew I'd be here for a long time. When I saw the girl sitting on the swing by the front door, my first thought was, "Maybe this place won't be so bad." Bade, slight Candre

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **Victorious**. If I did… it would be BADE all day, erryday.

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><p><strong>Beck's POV<strong>

Dad didn't say much. He just said that he and Mom were going on vacation for a long time. I stared out the window and gazed at the place that Dad called my "new home… for now anyway." I shrugged, not thinking too much of it. _I'm gonna be here for a long time… I can tell by the amount of stuff they're bringing with them. I might be six, but I'm not stupid. _"Here we are, Beckett, Happy Smiles Orff-" The only reason he stopped was because he started kissing Mom's palm. _Gross._

"Happy Smiles, Beckett. Happy Smiles. Let's go in," she smiled. I shrugged again and placed my Toy Legend backpack on my shoulders. I jumped up all the steps until we got to the front door. A lady with a creepy smile, big hair, and a weird dress answered the door. "Good morning," Mom smiled.

The creepy lady checked her watch. "It's 12:01. It's afternoon. Next time you decide to greet me, please make it in the proper timeframe," she glared. Mom looked uncomfortable, I won't deny that. Instead of making a reply, she shoved me in front of her. "Ah, is this Beckett?" She shot me a toothy grin… well she tried; this lady was missing a couple teeth.

I nodded. "Can we hurry this up, please? We have a flight to catch," Dad argued. I rolled my eyes and heard a creaking noise. I realized that we weren't alone on the front porch. Three other kids were sitting on the bench: one boy, two girls. The creepy lady glared at the three of them.

"What did I tell you children about eavesdropping?" she yelled. The shortest one, the girl with straight brown hair, winced and ran away almost in tears. The boy went after her. The last girl, the one with the wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes stayed. "Jadelyn, I am warning you!" she demanded.

_Jadelyn? That's a pretty name_. I smiled and walked over to her. "Hi, I'm Beckett," I told her. She looked at me and smiled back.

"Jadelyn," she stuck out her hand for me to shake, which I did. "I'm going to call you 'Beck.' Beckett is too long," she laughed as she blew her hair away from her eyes.

"Then I'll call you… Jade! It's a pretty color! And you're pretty, so it works!" I smiled. She shrugged. "What? You don't like your nickname?" I asked. She was looking over my shoulder at that creepy lady. "She looks mad…" I whispered.

"Come over to me, Andre, and Cat when I say… 143?" she whispered. I nodded, secretly celebrating that she wanted to talk to me again.

"Jadelyn," she said between clenched teeth, "go to the backyard with Catrina and Andre and wait 'til I come get you." She nodded, glanced at me, and walked into the house. _Scary, creepy lady. _"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, where were we? Ah, yes. Just sign here, here, and here," she smiled.

I had a bad feeling about this place. It kind of reminded me of the movie _Annie_. Jade's eyes came to mind, and suddenly I was thinking… _Maybe this place won't be so bad._

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><p><strong>REVIEW, PLEASE!<strong>

**The more reviews, the more updates. Done deal, right?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and love. teehee. I love them. Let's see... OH! There will be a TIME JUMP later on in the story, just so you know!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Victorious._

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><p>Mom and Dad had left me. No waves, no goodbyes. I looked up at the creepy lady again, now giving me a sinister grin. "Now, Beckett, every day you will be given chores to do. You are expected to complete those chores within an hour and a half <em>at most.<em> If you pull your weight around here, you will be treated well like Catrina and Andre. If not, you will end up like that horrid _Jadelyn_," she groaned. "Beckett, why do you have that smile on your face?" she snapped.

_What the- I'm SMILING?_ "Oh- umm… I was just… displaying my approval of your decisions of pulling our own weight here. You're a veeeeerrry good leader. And you're beautiful," I smirked. _Dang, I am such a kiss-up. Let's see where it leads me. _I looked up to see creepy lady with a huge smile on her face. "So, what's my first chore?" I asked.

She took a step back and patted my cheek. "Dearest Beckett, you will have no chores for the week. Go find Andre and tell him to get you settled and then ask Jadelyn or Catrina to show you around. Oh, by the way, my name is Gertrude. I don't like nicknames," she glared. I pulled on my backpack straps before walking to the backyard.

I looked around, seeing a bunch of other kids around gardening or playing around. "143!" I heard someone call from behind me. "Hey, Beck! What chores or punishment did Gerty give you for the week?" Jade asked. I smiled and told her what happened. Instantly, her face fell. "That is _so_ not fair! I always get chores!" she sighed.

"Well… I kissed up, and it worked. Maybe you could try it some time!" I laughed. She rolled her eyes and pouted.

"I am Jade West. I kiss up to no one," she teased. I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, you said that Gerty said that Andre was sharing his room with you, right? Well, here let's go find him!" she smiled, grabbing my hand again.

She led me to a shed in the back corner of the yard. She walked around various items in the shed and called for Andre. "What up, Jade? I can't talk for much longer you know! Gert-rudy gave me chores," he sighed. "Wait, you're the kid from earlier! Hi, I'm Andre," he stuck out his hand, which I took and shook.

"Beck. Um… Gertrude wanted you to show me your room. She said we'll be sharing from now on… I mean, sorry if you wanted it to yourself I could just-" I mumbled.

Andre on the other hand just started laughing. "Chill, Beck. I get lonely. It'll be cool sharing a room! Here, let's go! See you later, Jade!" he called after pushing me out of the shed and leading me to our room. Jade waved and ran off somewhere else. "So, Beck, why is it that every time I see you, you're with Jade?" he laughed again.

I gave him a look and shrugged. "What do you mean? I've only seen you twice!" I scratched my head. "Well, I was with Jade both times, but I don't get what you mean! Aghh, my head hurts! I'm only seven!" I sighed.

Andre laughed yet again. "I'm only seven, too! Not 'two' like the number… 'Too,' like also!" he smiled. "Anyway, here's our room: 14, on the third floor! Don't forget it!" he smiled. He opened the door, displaying two beds, two feet apart with gray sheets. There were two closets on one side of the room and a large window that looked out at the backyard. "It's not much, but it's where I sleep! And now it's where you sleep too!" he smiled.

I nodded, placing my backpack on the empty bed. "How long have you been in this place for?" I asked him. He looked a little shocked that anyone would even ask that question. "I mean, it's okay if you don't wanna tell me. I was just curious is all…"

He shrugged and sat down on his own bed. "Well, I've been here for… since… I was like… 4? So three years," he sighed. "It's not so bad though. I mean, some friends have to leave, others stay, like Jade and Cat," he shrugged.

"Did you ever want to leave? _Would_ you ever leave now? How long have Jade and Cat been here?" I asked him. He chuckled lightly and sighed. "Sorry… again… I ask too many questions…"

He walked over and patted my shoulder. "Nah, man, it's cool. At least I know we won't have any awkward silences in the future," he smiled. "As for leaving, I don't think I could. First off, leaving isn't up to us until we turn 18; it's up to the people who look at us and pick if they want us. And Jade and Cat have been here for… seven years... they were dropped off on the same day, at the same time, from what I hear…"

"…but that means…" I sighed. Andre nodded. "Oh, shoot! I was supposed to get Jade to show me around! Where will she be? Gah!" I ran a hand through my hair and started pacing until I heard Andre chuckle yet again. "What? You know where she is?" I asked.

"Friends never leave you. Here, I'll show you a secret. Gert-rudy's never caught us before!" he smiled proudly. I watched as he walked over to the ugly area rug in the middle of the room. He lifted it, revealing a small trapdoor. "It's the quickest way to Jade and Cat's room!" he winked. "See ya later, man!" I shrugged and walked down the trapdoor, making sure to close it tight.

I kept walking until I fell through a hole in the floor. "OW!" I screamed.

"Who the- Beck? How'd you find the secret door?" Jade asked, helping me up. "Oh yeah, Andre. Never mind. Well, whenever you use it, just make sure you say '143' before falling! Next time, I'll know you're there and you won't have to fall again!" she giggled. I smiled.

"Jade?" I asked, and I knew she was listening. _Why did your parents leave you when you were just a baby? _I bit my lip, pushing that question away from my mind for now. "Why do you like saying '143' all the time?" I asked.

She stopped fixing her hair in the mirror and froze. "It's… complicated. I'll tell you sometime later, though! I promise," she smiled.

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><p><strong>aha, a little AndreBeck bromance.**

**Why do you think Jade likes 143 so much? hmmmmmmmm...**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you, thank you for all the looooooove from Chapter 1! Just to clarify, in this chapter, everyone is around 15 or 16! **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **Victorious.**

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><p>…<strong>9 YEARS LATER…<strong>

"BECKETT!" The same thunderous echo bounced off the walls of the house. "BECKETT!" I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes. _Yes, this is an amazing way to wake up on a Sunday morning._ "BECKETT!" I winced, looking around the room, searching for places to secure myself. I looked out the window. Sadly, mine and Andre's room was on the third floor, so jumping wasn't really an option.

"Psst! 143!" I smiled; I didn't even have to turn around. I moved the old area rug away and lifted the floor board. I helped Jade up and into my room. She kissed my cheek and ruffled my hair. "Thank you, kind sir," she laughed.

I sighed and fixed my hair in the mirror. "I thought you were gonna stop doing that once I was taller than you!" I watched my frown form in my reflection. "And I've been taller than you for the last two years!" I sighed, moving stray hairs to their rightful positions.

Jade moved tucked some of my hair behind my ear and smiled. "So, Beck, what did you forget to do this time, and how are you going to avoid Gerty this time?" she asked, taking a seat on my bed. I pulled on a large flannel over my gray t-shirt and shrugged.

I glanced at her through the mirror. "I'm not sure actually… and same way I always do, Jade. Kiss up, lie, compliment her, and walk away," I smiled. "I _am_ Batman after all," I winked.

"Yeah, well, even Batman's had his days. See ya later, Beck! Gotta go hang Granny Gerty's panties," she rolled her eyes. She pulled her hair into a ponytail before leaving and secured it with the ribbon I gave her on her eleventh birthday. "143," she smiled.

"You look pretty like that," I smiled. "143." As she left, Gertrude came in. "Hello, Gertrude! You look beautiful, like always," I told her, turning around to face her.

She batted her eyelashes at me and flipped her hair… or what was left of it anyway. "Good morning, Beckett!" she sighed. "I just wanted to remind you that your chores are to clean the laundry room and help Jadelyn, Catrina, and Andre clean all the bathrooms on the second and third floors! Have a nice day, Beckett." She walked out of my room like she was in a daze.

I scratched the back of my head and walked down one flight of stairs. I knocked on the third door on the left. "Knock, knock!" I called.

I heard faint giggling and light footsteps approaching. "Who's there?" she asked excitedly.

"It's Beck!" I answered, running a hand through my hair.

"'It's Beck'- who?" The slight smirk on my face dropped to one of those "Are you serious?" looks.

"Cat, it's Beck! Open the door! We have chores to do!" I sighed. _Hurry up, so that I can see Jade!_

I heard her laughing as she opened the door. "Wait… that wasn't as funny as I thought it would be! You need new material, Beck! I mean… where's the beef?" she laughed… and laughed… and laughed… "I'm so good at making jokes," she sighed. "Anyway, what are the chores for today?" she asked seriously.

"You, Andre, Jade, and I have to clean the second and third floor bathrooms. Jade and I have to clean the laundry room," I told her, leading her down the stairs. I looked around the room for Andre when I noticed Cat wasn't behind me anymore. "Cat? CAT?" I called.

I walked back to her room and noticed her looking out the window. "Beck, Pauly got adopted," she whispered. _Shoot. Pauly's been here longer than I have… _"There aren't that many of us left in this place. What if you, me, Andre, or Jade gets adopted? What are we going to do then? It's not like we have cell phones or internet here… we can't really communicate if we get separated…" she frowned.

I put my arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Cat; it'll be okay. Think about it. You, me, Jade, and Andre have been friends for how long?"

She sighed and wiped her eyes with her hand. "You for nine, Andre for 10, and Jade for 13…" she sniffed. "You're right, Beck! It'll take more than adoption for us to be separated!" she smiled. "I'll go find Andre! You go help Jade clean up the laundry room and hang Gertrude's undies! Bye!" she yelled as she skipped down the stairs.

I sped down to the laundry room and found Jade hanging up Gertrude's… err, lacy panties. I shuddered and looked away. As she was about to grab more… articles of clothing from the basket, I covered her eyes with my hands. "Guess who?" I smiled.

"Is it… a man with an extra lump of fat?" she asked excitedly.

"No… that's… kind of gross actually…" I mumbled.

"Oh, it's just you," she sighed and placed another lacy number in a hanger. "What was your 'punishment'?" she teased. I listened to the soft sounds of her breathing for a little while; oddly, it relaxes me sometimes.

"Nothing. It was just chores. You and I get to clean this room, and then we get to help Andre and Cat clean the upper level bathrooms. Fun stuff. By the way, did you hear that Pauly got adopted?" I heard her breathing hitch, and looked up when I heard a hanger hit the cement floor. "Jade? You okay?" I asked her.

She shook her head and picked up the hanger. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" she yelled before running out of the bathroom. I waited a few seconds before running after her. _Why is she hysterical now? What did I say? Was it because Pauly was adopted? _"Quit following me, Beck!" she yelled. She began to walk faster and faster, as did I. "I said to quit following me!" She turned around, glaring right at me.

I walked up to her and pulled her into her room. I made her look straight into the mirror. "I can't, Jade. I can't just let you go all frustrated and angry without knowing what's happening! I'm Superman, remember?" I smiled. Thankfully, it made her smile too.

"Excuse me, but you were Batman," she laughed.

**Flashback!**

"_JADELYN!" Gertrude's voice rang throughout the halls. Everyone in the house covered their ears with their hands. "JADELYN! COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Where IS Jade? I dashed down the stairs and down the hallway that led to her bedroom. Unfortunately, it was empty. "JADELYN! JADELYN? YOU'D BETTER BE MAKING YOUR WAY- BECKETT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN JADELYN'S ROOM?" Gertrude screamed. _

_I winced, trying to think of a clever response. "I was, uh, looking for her for you… so you can save your voice for when you talk to new parents," I told her. She arched an eyebrow and ruffled my messy hair, leading to another wince in response. "Obviously, she's not in here, though. I don't know where she could have gone," I shrugged._

_I watched Gertrude's eyes flash, and like lightning she stormed out. Tempestuously, her voice echoed throughout the house again, not stopping until her thunderous voice struck victim's ears. I looked out the window from Jade's room, wondering where she could be. _

_I gazed out the window, watching to calmness of the gentle breeze. The flowers in the garden held hands and danced together in the sunlight. And then there was Jade, sitting on the swing on the front porch. "Jade!" I whispered, tapping on the glass of the window. She turned around, her bright blue eyes trapping me. "143!" I told her. Those bright blue eyes widened. I opened the window for her to crawl through._

_I held her hand as she slid through and pulled her in. "Thanks, Beck! Where's Gerty now?" she asked, fixing her hair. _

_I looked around carefully. "I think she went to the third floor, but I'm not sure. I told her I was looking for you so she could save her precious voice. What did you forget to do this time?" I laughed. She thought for a moment, and her usual pale color turned slightly pink._

_She scratched the back of her head and chuckled. "I 'forgot' to dry her lingerie…" she chuckled. Now my face was turning pink. "I'll go do that right now… but first…" I looked at her, wondering why she paused, when I realized her lips were on my cheek. Now I was going from pink to red. "Thanks for saving me, Batman!" she giggled._

_I showed her my super hero-pose, reflected in the mirror on the wall. "Nah, I'm Superman!" I smirked. She shook her head and ruffled my hair. I only do it because you're shorter than me… for now! I gotta make it last, right? Her words echoed in my mind._

"_No, Beck, you're Batman; he's awesome without any powers… which makes me Wonder Woman!" she laughed, flipping her hair and posing next to me. "Wanna know why?" she asked. "It's because on this show that my older sister used to watch, Wonder Woman and Batman are best friends!" she giggled. And then we were silent. But it was the good kind of silent—the one when you enjoy the moment and stare and appreciate the other person._

"_JADELYN!" …and here comes the storm after the calm. Both of us winced. She let go of my hand and climbed out the window. _

"_Got go hang a crazy ladies panties! Thanks again, Beck! 143!" she waved and ran to the laundry room. _

"_143," I whispered._

**End flashback!**

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong so I can save the day?" I asked her. She frowned and took a seat on the bed. She patted the spot next to her, waiting for me to sit too. She rested her head against my shoulder and sighed. "…I feel like I'm not going to like this very much…" I mumbled.

"Trust me, Beck. I don't think anyone will…" she replied.

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><p><strong>Oh, snap! What's gonna happen! <strong>

**ps, ohsnapitzJess hates suspense... so this is fun for me. teeheee. less than three!**


	4. Chapter 3

**'Ello! Sorry I haven't been able to write a lot lately! School is such a butt! I have three AP's this year PLUS PSAT coming up soon. awoefjaoweifjoawei oh my. But I didn't have school today, nor do I have school tomorrow, so I decided to update! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Victorious. _

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><p>I stared at her as she twirled some hair around her finger. She was sitting on the floor of mine and Andre's bedroom and had been doing the same thing for over six minutes now: twirling hair around her finger, glancing up at me, looking down at her lap, and twirling her hair again. I didn't say anything. I only watched. Finally, she turned around and faced me. "Beck…" she whispered.<p>

I let out a breath and sat down in front of her. She took one of my hands, and, surprisingly, clenched it tightly. My hand was basically morphing into the same color as her eyes. I love her eyes. She bit her lip and looked down at her lap again. She smoothed her old skirt out and brushed some dirt off of it. "Jade, you can tell me anything. I won't be mad at you, I promise. Just tell me what's wrong so I can beat the hell out of whoever it was that made you upset!" I smirked.

She smiled slightly and looked at me directly in the eyes. I know definitely that she only gives this look to people she cares about—people that mean something to her. She only uses this look when she wants to cry, break down. But I was always there to bring her back up. Her lip was shaking, as was her breath. "Beck… I... Someone adopted me," she cried. My hand fell from hers and down to my side.

My breathing became heavier, but I couldn't do anything about it. I could only stare. Jade reached up. I had no idea what she was reaching out for until I felt her thumb brushing against my cheek. I looked at her desperately, pleading that she was joking or lying or something. "Please… is this a joke? Please tell me that this isn't real. Is this all just a nightmare? Am I being punished for being such a kiss-up? Why me? Please, Jade, you can't leave me!" My voice reached a crescendo the more I pleaded. I ran a hand through my hair and licked my lips nervously. "It's just a joke, right, Jade? Andre and Cat are gonna come out at laugh at the look on my face, right? I mean- _OW! _WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" I yelled, grabbing my now swollen cheek.

"Beck, shut up!" she hissed. "It's not a joke. I found out this morning before you woke up. And according to Gerty, I'm leaving in three days, on the fourteenth. Cat and Andre don't know yet. You are the only one that I've told." She looked up at me with those eyes again. They weren't cold anymore. They were warm—no, inviting. I pulled her into a hug, having no intentions to ever let her go.

"JADELYN! JADELYN, WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN YOURSELF THIS TIME? JADELYN?" We both panicked and pushed each other away. I quickly pulled the carpet away so that she could get into the trap door. Sadly, she didn't care there fast enough. _Creeeeeeeeaaaak._ The door was opening slowly; its cry scared us. "Got'cha!" Cat giggled. "I love doing impressions of rude people!" she cheered.

Jade and I looked at each other and let out a giant breath. "Cat, don't do that! I can't handle any more bad news after-" I stopped myself and glanced at Jade. "Do you wanna… you know…?" I nudged Jade. She sighed and took Cat into her arms. Once she let go, Cat looked at her best friend curiously. Jade glanced at me and pulled me close to her. I wrapped my arm around her waist and felt her lean against me. _Why does this feel so nice? _I glanced down at the girl in my arms. She wasn't just a girl anymore. She never was "just a girl." She's Jade. _My _Jade.

_Creeeeeeak._ All three of our heads turned the doorway. Andre walked in laughing. "Yo, you guys gotta see this! I can't even believe it! Someone spray painted 'I like cereal and abs!' all over Gerty's fine panties!" He laughed. Jade winced immediately. Apparently, Andre caught on to the tension in the room. "Okay… why am I suddenly part of a teen drama?" he asked.

I glanced down at Jade again. "Do you want me to tell them?" I whispered in her ear. She nodded slowly. "Jade got adopted… and that prank is bad because Jade gets in trouble for it since one of her chores was to hang the laundry," I sighed. I pulled Jade closer to me.

"JADELYN! JADELYN!" We all winced harshly. "JADELYN, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING NOW?" Gerty's voice echoed again. Jade sighed and pushed herself away from me, stepping out of the room. Andre, Cat, and I stayed behind her. Like always. "Oh, Jadelyn, there you are, sweetie. Your new family came all the way here from Hollywood to visit us! Come on, now, let's go say 'hello,'" she smiled.

Jade almost gagged at how sweetly fake Gerty was being. "Yeah, totally. Can I bring Beck with me?" she asked monotonously. I hid my smile behind my hand, trying to fake that I was _really_ interested in the clouds outside the hallway window.

I felt Gerty's stare on me. It shifted my weight from one foot to the other and chewed my lip. "After your little 'Panties' stunt, Jadelyn, I don't think so," she spat. She grabbed Jade's elbow and dragged her downstairs. Jade flashed a look of fear at me in her eyes before she was gone.

"Should we spy?" Cat asked innocently. I looked from her to Andre and nodded. "Yay! I love spy stories!" she cheered. Andre chuckled lightly and held the door open for us. "It's Super Agent Cat! What is our first order of business? Over," she spoke into her "walkie-talkie."

"Should we use the secret hallway or should we just listen by the door?" Andre asked me. I placed a hand on my chin, planning out everything. My eyes traced the path of the secret hallway down to where Gerty's office should be. I shook my head.

I started walking down the stairs, turning around to make sure Cat and Andre were following. "Are you coming or what?" I laughed. "I'm not letting Jade go without knowing how this soon-to-be-family of hers will be. We're going there directly. We won't be able to hear anything from the passage way anyway," I told them.

They nodded and followed me down the stairs. We placed our ears on the door of Gerty's office. "Yes, we have four bedrooms and five bathrooms in our home, so you would get your own," an adult woman sighed. "I've always wanted my own little girl to dress up and put make up on."

Cat and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Oh, _hell_ no. I'm not your doll. I'm not gonna sit down while you put all the girl gunk on my face and put me in frilly dresses. I might be your daughter soon, but I am my own person." Andre looked like he was about to cry, fist pumping the air in victory.

I placed my ear back on the door. "Don't talk to my wife like that, you little brat! You should be grateful that someone is taking you outta this place!" a man yelled. I burst through the door and caught the man's hand before it so much as brushed Jade's face. "Who the hell is this kid?" he spat in my face.

I pushed Jade behind me and glared at this guy. No way am I letting Jade live with these people. "Oh, this boy! He has such protectiveness and look at his hair!" the woman shrieked. I glanced at Jade who still looked a little shaken up; I pulled her closer behind me. "Richard, what do you think? I think I want them both!" she cheered.

Jade and I glanced at each other. _Now we could never be separated, right? _"No way, I don't like that brat. It's one or the other, Molly. Pick one," the man—_Richard _—rolled his eyes. Gerty stepped in and desperately tried to convince him that he should take both of us, maybe even all of us including Andre and Cat. "Do they do anything other than talk back?" Richard scoffed.

"Yes, actually they do! They cook, clean, wash clothes, water plants-"

"I mean do they have any talent. We do live in Hollywood after all," he interrupted.

"O-oh… well… errr…"

"So, they don't. Well, Molly, we're wasting our time here, aren't we? These kids would never make it in Hollyw-"

"We can sing! All four of us in fact! We write and sing songs together! Sometimes, we even act out little plays that Jade thinks of!" Cat shouted from the door. Richard and Molly looked at her incredulously. "You wanna hear? I love performing!" she cheered.

"That's a lie! When do you all have time to do that crap?" Gerty yelled.

"While we're hanging your panties is when," Jade smirked from behind me.

"Let's take all of them, please, Richard! If you don't like them, we can take them back!" Molly begged. "Please, please, please?" _Is she a grown woman or a five-year-old girl? _"Richard? What do you think?" she nudged.

Richard sighed and glanced at all of us, even Andre and Cat at the doorway. "Fine, but any funny business, and you're out of my house. Get your things. We'll take you now." We ran up the stairs to our rooms to grab the small things we had collected over the years. I pulled the dirty old outfits into an old bag before going into Cat and Jade's room.

Jade was glancing at herself in the mirror. "What's wrong? Need Batman to help you out?" I asked gently. She smiled softly and shrugged. "Have you even started to pack yet?" I asked. She nodded and pulled her bag close to her. "What's wrong?" I asked again.

She ran a hand through her hair and glanced over at Cat who decided to sit beside her. "It'll be weird leaving this place. I mean, we all met here. Do you think we would fit in at Hollywood?" she asked. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

She leaned her head on my shoulder and let out a short breath. Cat rubbed her arm gently. "Yeah. We'll be okay. We have each other, don't we?" I smiled. She nodded.

We heard knocking on the door and looked up to see Andre. "Ready to go?" he asked. I looked down at Jade and told him we'd be down in a second. Cat got up and followed him downstairs with a huge smile.

I looked down at Jade and smiled. She grabbed my arm and dragged me downstairs to the front door. "We're here… why?" I chuckled. I looked down and saw an intensity in her eyes before they were covered. Her lips were pressed against mine, and I couldn't help but pull her closer to me. When we pulled apart she was turning a little red.

I gave her a curious look, which was met by a light slap on the arm. "I wanted us to have our first kiss where we first met—where it all began, you know? It seemed… _right_." She smiled.

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><p><strong>Well... that wasn't <em>too<em> horrible? hahaha. Anyway, I feel like updating another story, so which one should I update? This one doesn't count! hahaha. **

**xoxo**


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